Long Haul Flight Style

If you’re an expat living in Hong Kong, the likelihood is that the Christmas holidays means a long-haul flight home. This year, we’re visiting my husband’s family who live in Florida, so we’re flying out to New York, and then down to Miami. It’s a super-long flight, and so I like to plan in advance to be as comfortable as possible – I admire women like Victoria Beckham who seem to be able to fly in mini-skirts and sky-high heels, but I’m all about staying warm and snug in a draughty cabin. I put together this selection of items which represent my ideal flying outfit – some of them are pretty out of my budget, like the flats, but I’m planning on heading to Cotton On today to pick up one of their bargainous pairs.

I like to wear a nice pair of jeans to the airport, and then change into sweat pants in the aeroplane bathroom before the flight even takes off. I pack some warm socks (leg warmers would be just perfect) and a cosy scarf and tuck myself in for the long journey. I like to wear a long thick cardigan to cover the sweat-pant bum, and to double as a blanket or pillow. A huge bag is a necessity for shoving magazines, chewing gum and airport novels, and Maura and I have both learned the hard way about trying to wear our contact lenses for entire flights (her a scratched eye, me the kind of bloodshot eyes that didn’t fade for three days) and have invested in glasses. Lastly, I choose the softest cotton t-shirt I own, and pack a spare in my bag to change into just before getting off the flight so I feel a little fresher.

Hester Aba

Hester is originally from the incredibly glamorous city of Bristol, in England. Determined to escape her West-Country roots (though a love of good scrumpy should never be lost) she packed off for uni at Oxford to waste several years on a degree in Philosophy and never looked back… Following a stint in Switzerland eating too much fondue and meeting her future husband, they jumped at the chance to follow their dream of heading to Asia, and landed in Hong Kong in 2008. Along with partners-in-crime and fellow Tai-Tais, Maura Thompson and Natalie Firestone, she founded Sassy in 2009 and then Sassy Mama in 2011 after the birth of her daughter Elodie. Number 2 daughter Margot arrived in August 2012 and then two months later it was off to her new home in Singapore with tinies in tow. Hester is discovering the Lion City one shophouse at a time with a love for seeking out Singapore’s hidden secrets!